Bridgend Council’s Cabinet will be provided with a round-up of school inspection reports undertaken by Estyn during the spring and summer terms of 2023 (pdf).
Welsh-medium school “to be used as an example of good practice”
First off, Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd – the county’s only Welsh-medium secondary school – received a rare “faultless” report where no recommendations for improvement were made by Estyn (pdf).
The report says that the school will be asked to be a case study for other schools on how to achieve high levels of attendance and a sense of belonging, as well as planning to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.
Areas picked out for praise by inspectors include the leadership team, the school’s system of monitoring absences to improve attendance rates and how the school recognises and rewards individual achievements.
No follow-ups at 6 primary schools; more work needed at two
Several schools were said to have been making good progress and only need to address a few recommendations from Estyn.
- Coychurch Primary
- Cwmfelin Primary
- St. Mary’s & St. Patrick’s RC Primary
- Newton Primary
- Garth Primary
- Bryntirion Infants
Two schools – Croesty Primary and Nantymoel Primary – were deemed by Estyn to have not made enough progress on recommendations from previous inspections. Both schools will need to draft an improvement plan.
Caerau Primary School set to be placed into special measures
Estyn recommended the Caerau Primary School should be placed into special measures following an inspection in May 2023 (pdf).
While there’s praise for how the school has created a strong inclusive and safe community, inspectors were concerned about pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Also, skills in reading, writing and maths were said to often be under-developed when children start at school.
Issues behind the scenes were identified too. These were described in the report as a “period of staffing turbulence and uncertainty”. A high number of temporary staff has led to inconsistent teaching standards.
An action plan will be drawn up together with Bridgend Council and the Central South Consortium.
